ned from godless; tyranny and slavery, an everlast
ing allegiance to justice and freedom rooted in
God Himself.
"Six sad, mad years the world was drenched in
blood-and death, but the ugly darkness that cover
ed the earth had not yet lifted, when the finger
of history began tracing new and no less fearsome
evils upon her tired, tormented face. Then we
found, not the promised peace purchased by the
precious unlived lives of our sons - we found, in
stead, a world still unrelenting and unyielding,
steeped in a quagmire of deceits and disunions,
with all nations still planning, pretending and
pursuing, but none possessing that just peace
which millions of dead men earned for millions
of their living brothers!
"For five post-war years men of all nations
talked, proposed and planned peace, but even as
Thomas a Kempis prophesied over five hundred
years ago, “All men desire peace but all do not care
for the things that go to make a true peace”. And
so today there is no peace and once again man
kind totters over war’s terrible abyss! For peace
cannot merely be "declared”, nor charted by plans
and programs. Peace must be founded on faith -
faith in God and in one another, its cornerstone
laid on the unchangeable will and law of God,
builded strong by the constant good-will of each
nation to the other, welded secure by the moral
md spiritual contributions of all nations in a
common bond of fellowship and friendship.
“But stubbornly, blindly, foolishly men have
refused to acknowledge their Creator and to re
spect their neighbor; and once again peoples are
being forced to submit to Satans of godlessness
and greed whose intent it is to purge man of his
human rights and make him less than beast. Yet
no man is born slave to another; each is born free
to adore the true God, loving His heart and be
lieving His mind; free to conquer fear of losing
God-given rights through godless laws and ungod
ly foes. Man’s rights are his right Divine, eternal
to have and to hold against all agressions, to be
cherished not as grants by law or gifts of men of
power. Men are free because God is free - and
men are His image and likeness.
"These are not times for timid men. These
are days in the era of fear when men and women
of dauntless faith must promise God to cherish and
nourish within their souls their precious heritage,
and ceaselessly strive to sanctify themselves and
help save a suffering world self-crucified on its
cross of sin. It matters not where we live, nor
what position in life we hold, whether we be rich
or poor, Negro or White, Protestant, Jew or Cath
olic; by our prayers and our works we must stand
strong and united, and live faithful to God, loyal
to our country and devoted to our fellowman.
"Unlike the godless who seek to dominate man
kind by force - desecrating, destroying, pillaging
and killing - men of faith must use their powers
to help bring mankind within the protecting arms
of Christ, the only arms that can capture, defend
and save this hate-bitten, fear-crazed world. . . .
"There is a red star burning in the skies these
perilous days; a red star that symbolizes the great
grief that weighs upon the hearts of countless
millions of holy women and noble men, striking
terror into their souls, smothering the hopes of
humanity’s masses. It is a bloody star casting its
lurid light of fear upon fettered peoples of en
slaved nations, and all men of good-will live in
fearful dread of its portent, of the meaning of this
red star grotesquely and ominously gleaming.
"But there is another star - a white star of faith
aglow in unnumbered churches and shrines
through the world where men are free to worship,
a w'hite star radiant with the fearless faith of mil
lions of God’s followers, its brilliance drawn from
the face of the Saviour triumphant over death, its
light the light of eternal love, deathless faith and
high hope for men’s salvation. Symbol of the
deepest aspirations of those who truly love their
God and their fellowmen, the white star glistens
with the graces of innocent children, the sacri
fices of saints, the crown of martyrs. Red Star
and White Star; Red Star of blood, hate, warfare,
enslavement and death; White Star of faith prom
ising those who follow it God’s love, salvation,
and peace everlasting.
"God of our nation! In this critical hour made
solemn by duties, made sacred by trusts, sanctified
by prayerful hopes, we implore Thy blessing on
this great State of North Carolina. We ask Thee
to bless its civic leaders and all the people of its
multiple communities. We pray Thee to bless
them, to guard them and guide them in the ways
of Thy will, unto proper purpose and peace.
"God of our country! Be father to its peoples,
to Thy sons and daughters that they may know
Thy will, and do Thy will, that this nation may
endure, so long as freedom shall endure - the free
dom to love in accord with Thy comand: to love
Thee, and all Thy sons as our brothers!
"O God of Glory.! For the sake of Thy glory
and our salvation give us guidance to our Presi
dent, members of the Congress and all our civic
authorities, our educational, military, industrial
and labor leaders. Make them Thine instruments
that the light of Thy mind may be light to their
minds, that the love of Thy heart may be love to
their hearts, giving them courage and strength,
that they may serve in unity of purpose to make
our land prosperous and progressive, a haven for
the homeless and friendless, a comforter to the
helpless and hopeless, teaching them to follow the
bright White Star of Faith in this sick and strick
en world.”